James spruce



(No Model,,)

J. SPRUCE.

CURTAIN POLE JOINT. No. 327,834. Patented OGt. 6, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SPRUCE, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCOVILLMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CURTAIN-POLE JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,834, dated October6,1885.

Application filed Jnly27, 1885.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SPRUCE, of \Vaterbury, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inCurtain-Pole Joints; and I do hereby declare the following, when takenin connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure l, a top view showing the two shanks screw-threaded and standingin diametrically opposite positions, broken lines at the rightindicating different angles to which the shanks may be turned withrelation to each other; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 8, ahorizontal section of the same; Fig. 4, a vertical central section ofthe opposite sides of the joints; Fig. 5, a modification of theconstruction of the outer shell.

This invention relates to an improvement in the connection between theparts of the pole employed over windows, from which curtains aresuspended. The object of the joint is that a bend may be madein thepole-as for bay-windows or other points where the pole is required to beturned away from a direct line. To cut the pole and abut the joint, soas to make a good finish, is avery difficult and expensive operation.Again, such a cutting and fitting requires the work of a skilledmechanic, which in many places it is inconvenient to obtain. To overcomethese difficulties a joint something in the character of a hinge hasbeen provided, one part attached to one end of one part of the pole andthe other part of the joint attached to the corresponding end of theadjacent part, and so that one part may be turned to any desirable angleto the other. This enables the cutting of the ends of the polesubstantially square, and avoids the fitting and expensive worknecessary to attain a good angle. It is to this peculiarity of jointthat the invention particularly relates; and it consists in a shell,substantially circular in horizontal section, having a screw fixed atone pointlprojeoting radially therefrom, and in the said horizontalplane, and also constructed with a horizontal slot extending par- SerialNo. 172,772. (No model.)

tially around the said shell opposite the said fixed screw, combinedwith a ring within said shell, having a second screw rigidly fixed to itand projecting radially therefrom through said horizontal slot, and inthe same plane as the screw fixed to the shell, as more fullyhereinafter described.

In the construction of the joint I prefer to make the shell in sphericalform. A repre sents one part, and B the other part, of the shell; and Iprefer to make the shell in three parts, C being the third part. Thisthird part, C, is in the form of a ring, and the parts A B are attachedto each edge of the ring, so that the three parts together formsubstantially a sphere, as seen in Fig. 2.

From the ring C a screw or equivalent shank, D, extends radially and inthe diametrical plane of the ring or sphere. The screw is rigidly fixedto the ring, so that it becomes a permanent part of it. This may be doneby inserting the screw through the ring and riveting it thereon, asindicated in Fig. 3; or it may be soldered or brazed thereto.

In the ring opposite the screw D a slot, E, is formed circumferentially,and in the same plane as the screw D, and it extends preferably aboutone-third of the circumference of the ring. Inside this ring or shell aring, F, is arranged, so as to fit closely upon the inside of the shell,and guided thereby is permitted to rotate within the shell. To thisshell a screw, G, is rigidly fixed, in like manner as is the screw D tothe outer shell, the screw G extending radially from its ring andthrough the slot E in the shell or outer ring, and so that the twoscrews stand in the same plane, as seen in Fig. 2, the two screws beingat right angles to the axis, about which the shell or ring may turn, theone upon the other. Preferably I make the inner ring complete,- and thatit may not interfere with the inner end of the screw D, fixed in theshell, I construct the inner ring with a slot, H, in the same plane asthe slot E in the outer shell, and so that in the movement of the shellupon the ring, or vice versa, the inner end of the screw will notinterfere with the inner ring. This inner ring, however, need not extendentirely around the inside of the shell, it only eing necessary that itshall take a bearing ufficient in extent to support the ring against.iametrical thrust upon the screw G, fixed to t, or upon the screw D,fixed to the outer shell.

In the construction, as illustrated inFigs. 2, 3, and 4, the centralportion, 0, has its .pper and lower edge turned outward, and

he corresponding edge of the parts A B are urned, respectively, over theprojecting edge.

o the ring by soldering or otherwise. The

arts A B serve only as ornamental portions, s the outer ring, 0, and theinner ring, F, vith their respective fixed screws, make the onnectionbetween the two parts of the pole.

The central portion, and to which the one crew D is fixed, may be madeintegral with be part A, as seen in Fig. 5, so that the shell ompletewill be formed in two parts, instead f three, as before described; but Iprefer to nake the central portion irrtwo rings, both lotted, the outerring having the screw rigdly fixed to it, and the inner ring having acrewrigidly fixed to it, to work through the lot in the outer ring. Bythis construction he two screws are maintained in the same ilane.

In applying the joint, the screw or shank D 3 introduced into the end ofone part of the ole and the screw G into the corresponding nd of theother part,- then the one part may be urned upon the other in eitherdirection, as :rdicated in broken lines, Fig. 1, to bring it a therequired angle.

The two parts A B, which practically form overs to close the ring, maybe made of any esirable style or shape, giving to the joint more or lessornamentation according to the amount of work applied.

It will be understood from the foregoing that I do not claim, broadly,the ball-like joint between adjacent ends of the parts of acurtain-pole; but

What I do claim is 1. The Zherein-described joint for curtainpole,consisting of the outer ring or shell having a shank, D, rigidly fixedthereto and extending therefrom in a radial direction and in ahorizontal plane, the shell constructed with a slot, E, opposite thefixed shank and in the same horizontal plane, combined with a ring, F,arranged within the shell and in the plane of the before-mentioned slot,the said inner ring having a shank, G, rigidly fixed thereto andextending radially therefrom through the said slot E in the outer shell,and in substanstantially the same plane as the shank- D of the shell,substantially as described.

2. The ring O,constructed with a rigid shank, D, projecting radiallytherefrom, the said ring constructed with a slot, E, opposite the saidshank and in the plane of the ring, a ring, F, arranged within said ring0, and adapted to freely turn therein in the plane of the ring, the saidring F, constructed with a rigid shank, G, projecting radially therefromand through the said slot E in the ring 0, the two parts A B, attachedto the respective edges of the ring 0 to substantially close the ring,substantially as described.

JAMES SPRUCE.

Witnesses:

0. WV. DE Morr, F. J. TUTTLE.

